Diversity in field crops creates an agriculture ecosystem that is profitable and resilient to climate change.
Small acreage crops, like camelina, carinata, flax, mustard and sunflower, contribute to Canadian crop production thanks to their ability to withstand drought, heat, and soil nutrient deficiency.
Crop research is one way to increase acreage seeded to diverse crops. The federal government is providing roughly $8.1 million to Saskatoon, Sask. based Ag-West Bio who will manage the Diverse Field Crops Cluster (DFCC), a group of organizations representing small acreage crops.
Ag-West Bio President and CEO Karen Churchill said the goal of DFCC is to give farmers viable alternatives to include in their rotations.
“Which will help create an agricultural ecosystem that is more profitable while also being more resilient to climate change. By pooling resources, DFCC can advance these crops much faster,” Churchill said.
The research has several goals including creating a benchmark of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by small acre crops, understanding how these emissions are impacted by nitrogen fertilizer, and improved genetic resiliency, yields, and disease resistance in mustard, flax, and sunflowers.
Another goal is furthering the development of new oilseed crops, like camelina, that are more adapted to production on lower-quality land.
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